I believe prayer changes things. I believe prayer works. Prayer
is an essential in the Christian life. If there is no prayer, the person that
isn’t praying, isn’t Christian. Period. No exceptions. To fail to pray is to
expect to go through life under one’s own will and one’s own power separate of
God.
Prayer is an exercising of one’s faith and a manifestation
of their hope.
James 5:16 ~ “Therefore,
confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be
healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Prayer is actual and literal conversation with God. Prayer
is to God alone. Prayer is in the presence of God. It is a place of
supplication. I believe that every single time you preface an action or
thought with the thought of God (whether as Father, Son or Spirit), you are in
reality praying. The resultant action or thoughts are then better aligned with
God having consulted with God first. If one puts God first in thought and in all
things they are essentially praying without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 ~
“pray without ceasing….”
Prayer makes
one dependent. Prayer is admitting inadequacy. Prayer puts one in position of
humility. Prayer needs
to be for repentance, forgiveness and change. No Christian is acceptable the
way they are. We all need to improve. Prayer is therefore for the guilty and
the sinful. It takes someone realizing that they are sinful to be able to pray
for said forgiveness. This means prayer leads to a contrite heart. A bent knee
shows that the person bending it knows that God is aware of what is best for us. He
being our Creator who is omniscient and omnipotent knows what will be in our
best interest.
Our prayers
can be thanksgivings, requests, needs, healing and more. We should also pray
for others. Here’s the thing though. As our faith increases, the gap between
the prayer and a possible answer may increase because God is attempting to
build our faith in that silence. Prayer does not equate to immediate answers.
As a matter of fact, to immediately answer the prayers of the faithless builds
little or no faith. Other times, prayers will be answered in ways we do not
expect. Is it because God is playing a joke on us? No! Again, we must
understand God knows what’s good for us and knows what’s better for us more
than we do. Sometimes our prayers are answered in ways we can’t comprehend
because our views are too myopic or to small-minded. God has better things in
store for us.
The proper
response after prayer or before it is praise. We know that God loves us and
hears us yet he is the God of the Universe. He considers us important enough to
listen to individually like children….because we are His children! This should solicit praise.
There is
nothing hidden in prayer. Prayer exposes our most hidden desires…and our most
hidden sins. Prayer builds trust. Prayer builds and solidifies a relationship.
Prayer changes things mostly because in the act of prayer, prayer changes us
and gives a stronger heart for God. As James said…
James 4:8 ~ “Draw near
to God, and he will draw near to you.
Scripture Support:
1 Chronicles 16:11 ~ “Look
to the LORD and his strength; seek His face always.”
Psalm 145:18 ~ “The
LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
Proverbs 15:29 ~ “The
LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”
Luke 6:12 ~ “One of
those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night
praying to God.”
Romans 12:12 ~ “Be
joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Philippians 4:6 ~ “Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
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